Inauguration of the Jubilee Year celebrating the 200th anniversary of WUT

On 15 January 2026, the inauguration of the Jubilee Year marking the 200th anniversary of the Warsaw University of Technology (WUT) was held in the University’s Main Building. The event provided an opportunity for a communal celebration, a reflection on the origins of technical education in Warsaw, and an emphasis on the significance of this milestone in the history of WUT.

In January 1826, the Preparatory School for the Polytechnic Institute opened in Warsaw. This event marked the beginning of technical education in the capital and the symbolic genesis of what is now the Warsaw University of Technology. The bicentennial of that moment is an occasion to revisit the University's history and to underscore WUT's role in educating successive generations of engineers.

As part of the Jubilee Year Inauguration, a session of the WUT Senate was convened, followed by a Gala Concert. The ceremony took place in the Great Hall of the Main Building, bringing together members of the University authorities, invited guests, and the academic community.

The artistic programme for the Jubilee Year Inauguration was delivered by WUT's own ensembles: the Warsaw University of Technology Theatre, The Engineers Band (the University's entertainment orchestra), and the Academic Choir.

Back to 1826

During the Senate session, the audience heard a fanfare composed especially for the occasion by Dariusz Łapiński – the Head and Conductor of the University’s entertainment orchestra. The melody accompanied the ceremonial procession and staged reconstructions of historic speeches from the day the Preparatory School for the Polytechnic Institute was inaugurated. Those present listened to addresses by Stanisław Staszic (the School's initiator) and Prof. Kajetan Garbiński (its first director), as well as by the herald. These roles were performed by actors from the Warsaw University of Technology Theatre. The texts were prepared by Prof. Andrzej Jakubiak, and the staging was directed by Grzegorz Sierzputowski, Head of the Theatre. The reconstructions served to convey the atmosphere of that day and offered a perspective on the University's beginnings through the eyes of its founders.

A portrait of Stanisław Staszic was also ceremonially unveiled during the event. It is destined to be placed in the Senate Hall of the Warsaw University of Technology.

The significance of the jubilee

During the ceremonial Senate session, the Rector of the Warsaw University of Technology, Prof. Krzysztof Zaremba, delivered an address. In his speech, he recalled the beginnings of WUT, the historical context, and the challenges the University has faced. He emphasised that, as the successor to the Preparatory School for the Polytechnic Institute, WUT continues a 200-year tradition of educating engineers. The Rector also thanked all those who have co-created—and continue to co-create—the University, noting that its development would not have been possible without their vision and commitment.

– I want to emphasise that we continue the finest traditions; we continue the mission and values set by our predecessors. Our particularly important duty is to educate and shape young people who become our graduates – said Prof. Krzysztof Zaremba.

In the next part of his address, the Rector outlined the challenges currently facing the Warsaw University of Technology. He pointed, among other things, to the dynamic development of technology (including artificial intelligence), climate change, growing energy demand, and social and political tensions, stressing the responsibility of technical universities in addressing these processes.

– I would like—and I wish for the entire academic community of our University—that in another 200 years our successors will be able to be proud of us – he added.

Addresses were also delivered by invited guests: Andrzej Szeptycki, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education; Alvin Gajadhur, Social Affairs Adviser to the President of the Republic of Poland, who read out a letter from the President of the Republic of Poland; and Marek Cieśliński, Director General at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, who read out a letter from the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

An unexpected highlight of the Jubilee Year Inauguration was the address by Prof. Alojzy Z. Nowak, Rector of the University of Warsaw, who, on behalf of the Senate of the University of Warsaw, presented the University of Warsaw medal to the Rector of the Warsaw University of Technology. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of the long-standing cooperation between the two universities, noting its tangible outcomes and congratulating the Warsaw University of Technology on its achievements to date.

The Stanisław Staszic Award

During the Jubilee Year Inauguration, the Warsaw University of Technology Stanisław Staszic Award was presented for the first time. The award recognises outstanding teaching achievements and innovative initiatives supporting the development of higher education. The laureate was Prof. Andrzej Kraśniewski from the Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology.

– I regard this distinction as recognition of the role of education, which sometimes remains in the shadow of scientific achievements, even though these two spheres are inseparably linked – emphasised Prof. Andrzej Kraśniewski.

Prof. Kraśniewski was honoured for his significant contribution to the development of modern solutions in the education system, including the implementation of two- and three-cycle degree programmes, the reform of doctoral education, the internationalisation of studies, and the creation of innovative curricula that have had a lasting impact on the quality of education at the Warsaw University of Technology and within Polish higher education as a whole.

Jubilee gala concert

In the second part of the ceremony, guests were taken on a musical journey by the artists who enriched the evening's programme. As part of the 144th concert in the Great Music in the Small Hall series, the audience enjoyed a piano recital by the world-renowned pianist Paweł Kowalski. He began with several works by Frédéric Chopin, including the Mazurka in B-flat major, composed in 1826—a year of particular significance for the University. The artist also led the audience into the world of film music, performing compositions by Wojciech Kilar from The Shadow Line and The Ninth Gate, as well as Krzysztof Komeda's music from Rosemary's Baby.

The evening also featured a special premiere. Prof. Dariusz Zimnicki composed the cantata “Omnes populi” especially for the occasion, as a tribute to the Warsaw University of Technology. The Great Hall and its surrounding arcades were filled with the voices of as many as 200 performers from the Warsaw University of Technology Choir, led by Maestro Zimnicki, including singers from: the Academic Choir of WUT, the WUT Quantum Choir, the Tibi Domine Chamber Choir, the WUT Academic Choir Alumni Choir, and the Little Engineers’ Choir. The performance will undoubtedly remain in the guests' memories for a long time. The musical part of the evening was hosted by Prof. Andrzej Jakubiak, who accompanied the performances with anecdotes and stories related both to the Warsaw University of Technology and to the Main Building itself.

Thank you for remembering us

On the occasion of our jubilee, we have received numerous congratulations and good wishes. We extend our most sincere thanks to everyone—these messages will be preserved in our archives with gratitude and respect.

Letters were sent by:

• President of the Republic of Poland
• Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland
• Minister of Climate and Environment
• Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
• Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship
• University of Warsaw – medal
• University of Warsaw
• Wrocław University of Science and Technology
• Lodz University of Technology
• Silesian University of Technology
• Medical University of Gdańsk
• SGH Warsaw School of Economics
• Kozminski University
• Medical University of Lublin
• Cracow University of Technology
• Poznan University of Medical Sciences
• University of Lodz
• Military University of Technology
• Poznan University of Economics and Business
• University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn
• Bialystok University of Technology
• John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
• Main School of Fire Service
• Koszalin University of Technology
• University of Life Sciences in Lublin
• Maria Grzegorzewska University (Academy of Special Education)
• Maritime University of Szczecin
• Jan Kochanowski University of Kielce
• Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz
• Academy of Upper Silesia
• Academy of Music in Gdańsk
• War Studies University
• Fryderyk Chopin University of Music
• General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways
• Łukasiewicz Research Network – Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics
• National Science Centre (Poland)